JERSEY SHORE–Avery DePasqua provides Jersey Shore leadership, hustle and production. She then added another valuable asset last offseason–recruiter.

DePasqua convinced fellow senior Leena Loomis to play basketball for the first time since her freshman year. Tuesday, Jersey Shore honored DePasqua and her prized free agent acquisition. Both then helped make their Senior Night a memorable one.

DePasqua and Loomis both played well, as did all the Bulldogs who started strong and defeated Midd-West, 51-27. Marlee Lehman scored 14 points; Sadie Schall 11 and Jersey Shore (13-6, 8-2) piled up 18 assists on 21 field goals while winning its fifth straight game. Jersey Shore also completed an impressive run through its HAC-I schedule.

“It’s good to have a nice Senior Night with a win,” DePasqua said after producing seven points, three assists and two steals. “You can’t beat that.”

For a while, it looked like DePasqua would be the lone senior when this annual event took place. But she went to work and convinced her soccer teammate that giving basketball another shot would be rewarding.

Months later it certainly has been, both for Loomis and the Bulldogs. Loomis immediately worked her way into the rotation, providing Jersey Shore a tenacious defender and some needed height in the post. She had four points, three rebounds and two steals against Midd-West and both she and DePasqua ignited a game-clinching 14-0 third quarter run which imposed the mercy rule.

“We lost a lot from last year and it’s good having a taller person on the team because we’re a smaller team,” DePasqua said. “She works really hard and it motivates everyone else to be in the gym.”

“The team is something special and has been for a long time,” Loomis said. “I just think it’s nice to be a part of something like this, a solid team.”

Loomis certainly has made this tight-knit team better. Whatever numbers she delivers on a given night do not tell the story. Like so many high school players, Loomis is one who might not have the gaudiest stats, but who does so much of the dirty work which helps teams win.

Mirroring DePasqua’s relentless, Loomis goes all out all the time. Her impact is felt on and off the court and Jersey Shore finishing just a game out of first in the HAC-I shines a light on how much she has impacted the team.

“Leena has brought a determination that shines through naturally. She’s a determined athlete and competitor,” Jersey Shore coach Mike Schall said. “What she brings to the team all the time is everyone around her is enjoying themselves.

“Leena absolutely makes those players around her better in more than basketball ways.”

It’s a reciprocal relationship with her teammates pushing Loomis as well. Picking up the game following two years off is a daunting task, but all the Bulldogs have helped guide Loomis throughout the journey.

Jersey Shore handing league champion Shikellamy its lone HAC-I loss Saturday and picking up where it left off against Midd-West speaks volumes about the strides made.

“They’re all motivating. They’re all really nice to work with,” Loomis said. “They would always be picking me up when I was getting down on myself. That helped because it was hard to get back into it.

It was definitely a transition. I worked really hard and feel like I earned that spot a little bit.”

After the most successful senior class in program history graduated last June, Schall let his players know that everything would have to be earned the hard way this season. They have absorbed both intangible and basketball lessons like sponges and are surging at a great time.

Following the exciting, 61-49 win against Shikellamy, Jersey Shore experienced no letdown. Instead, the Bulldogs kept gaining momentum and built a 23-4 lead by the first quarter’s conclusion. Six players scored, four drained 3-pointers and Jersey Shore closed on a 20-0 run to seize control. Sadie Schall continued her excellent freshman season and had a hand in 16 straight points with three assists on 3-pointers and seven scored herself.

“They came out and focused as soon as they took the court for warm-ups. We talk about using that time to let our pregame notes sink but also that’s the time to settle into the game,” Mike Schall said. “Focus and lock in at the time.”

Jersey Shore stayed locked in and landed the knockout blow in the third quarter, going ahead, 49-15. The Bulldogs efficiently and effectively moved the ball, setting up quality shots inside and outside. They went 8 for 11 from the field in the third quarter and every player continued being a weapon.

Seven players produced assists and Kylie Schall dealt a team-high five. Sadie Schall added four and Lehman and DePasqua three each. Swarming defense and well-rounded offensive execution overwhelmed Midd-West and Jersey Shore reached 13 wins for a fifth straight year.

“We love helping each other score; we all want each other to score,” DePasqua said. “We just like helping each other and playing for each other.”

They do it quite well.

Jersey Shore reached a season-high in points Saturday and four players scored at least nine points. The first quarter became an extension of that performance as Sadie Schall and Marlee Lehman combined for 13 points with DePasqua and Kylie Schall also hitting 3-pointers and Loomis and Gracelyn Frantz (8 points) scoring inside.

Earlier this season, Jersey Shore relied on defense and toughness to grind out some impressive wins. Those qualities continue shining through but the offense making steady progress has made this a more dangerous team heading down the regular season’s conclusion and into the playoffs.

Looks DePasqua bringing Loomis back to basketball has helped both her friend and the team excel.

“That was a team win (Saturday). It was team flow and it was team basketball,” Mike Schall said. “We show that on the defensive end quite often, but we’re showing it more on the offensive side. They came out tonight and looked sharp.”

MIDD-WEST (27)

Izzy Walter 5 0-0 11, Emma Wagner 4 0-0 10, Julia Boop 0 0-0 0, Cali Sauer 1 2-4 4, Maddie Bonsall 0 2-4 2, Melissa Sheaffer 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 4-8 27.

JERSEY SHORE (51)

Marlee Lehman 6 0-0 14, Sadie Schall 4 2-2 11, Kylie Schall 2 0-0 5, Avery DePasqua 3 0-0 7, Gracelyn Frantz 4 0-0 8, Leena Loomis 1 2-2 4, Azelyn Dincher 0 0-0 0, Lily Bowers 1 0-2 2, Alexis Frey 0 0-0 0, Liz Hollick 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 4-6 51.

Midd-West 4 9 5 9–27

Jersey Shore 23 8 18 2–51

3-pointers: Midd-West 3 (Wagner 2, Walter); Jersey Shore 5 (Lehman 2, S. Schall, K. Schall, DePasqua).

Records: Jersey Shore 13-6, 8-2 HAC-I.